Years of visitors leaving behind dirty diapers, beer cans and broken glass has forced locals to close public access to their private land. The issue isn’t just isolated to Three Rivers. Trash and vandalism at Lake Kaweah has also troubled those maintaining the natural landscape.

“The locals are more likely to clean-up after themselves,” Toy-Ramirez said. “But there has always been a garbage problem.”

US Army Corp of Engineers manages Lake Kaweah. Matt Murphy, senior park ranger, said there has been a trend of trash and vandalism, especially during summer months.

“I’ve been here for 30 years and it’s always been an issue,” he said. “It’s just one of those things we’ve always had trouble with.”

Although there are contractors who pick up trash, the problem could easily be mitigated if visitors simply cleaned up when they left.

Trash left behind at Slick Rock has been a historic issue for those managing Lake Kaweah.(Photo: Sheyanne Romero)

The motto, “pack it in, pack it out” is commonly used by locals to describe the method in which to maintain clean rivers. Nothing should be left in the river or on the bank.

While park rangers and volunteers issue citations to those they catch littering, Murphy is unsure how to stress the importance of using the trash bins at the lake.

“I wish people wouldn’t graffiti or leave trash behind,” he said. “You have to change the overall mind set and I’m not sure how to do that.”

The Sequoia Parks Conservancy is a community partner and has offices in Three Rivers. The conservancy has taken note of the trash being left behind, but said the non-profit’s focus is on the parks. Additionally, much of the littering takes place on private land.

Residents living near Lake Kaweah are concerned by the amount of trash and graffiti.(Photo: Sheyanne Romero)

Staff cleans the highway from Lake Kaweah to Sequoia National Park several times a year. Each highway pickup yields eight to 10 bags of trash, said Dayna Higgin, communications director.

Residents of Three Rivers have taken matters into their own hands. Property owners have organized and regularly clean the rivers. One group, known as Ladies of the Lake, kayak early mornings and pick up trash along their way.

Neighbors walk the beaches after the weekend brings hoards of “flat-landers.”

Community members have discussed the problem during town hall meetings, but many are left without a solution.

“It’s pretty easy to pick up your trash,” Crouch said. “Evidently, it isn’t for some people.”

Many residents have roped and fenced off access to the river. Tulare County Sheriff’s Department resident deputy Mark Frick patrols the area and has become a resource for residents who struggle with trespassers.

Trash left behind at Slick Rock has been a historic issue for those managing Lake Kaweah.(Photo: Sheyanne Romero)

“This is a historically ongoing issue that happens every summer,” Capt. Keith Douglass said. “It’s an area that we are more than aware of and we have enhanced our enforcement efforts.”

Deputies declined to give numbers on the calls for service for the area over the last few years.

Together, deputies and California Highway Patrol officers cite trespassers and hand out parking violations. Rather than calling deputies, residents have taken the litter problems into their own hands.They have’t called once this summer, Douglass said.

Gary Cort is an elder in the community and owns the land that “Slicky” rests on. He has fought to keep the property free of trash and graffiti for decades. However, after years of vandalism he reluctantly restricted public access.

“A Native American man once told me that what people leave behind are pieces of themselves,” he said.

Cort has transformed trash into beautiful pieces of art for his small gallery on Sierra Drive. He gained notoriety from his litter lizard creations. He said it wasn’t the trash that made him decide to limit access, but the constant graffiti of the rocks.

“I tell kids they need to be invisible when they go to the river,” he said. “They need to be ninjas.”

Visitors often bring barbeques, ice chests and tents. But most locals know to pack light and won’t bring glass, he said.

“There are a few rebels,” he laughed. “They don’t wear their seat belts and they bring glass to the river.”

He has proposed building a park for visitors near the town’s post office. He hopes that visitors could have a place to barbeque and feel welcome. The decision to fence-off Slicky was not easy for the retired architect. He often wonders who should be allowed on the river.

“Who really owns the view?” he said as he looked over his scenic property.

After returning home from college, Deva Delisio was shocked at the state of his childhood home.

“The river was a place for people to cool off and get together. We would always hang out at each others houses. It was one big family,” he said. “When I came home for the summer, it just wasn’t the same. People don’t know how to respect this special place.”

Closing access to private land is the solution for many residents who own properties on the river. Many feel responsible for preserving the natural beauty of Kaweah River, Lake Kaweah and Three Rivers.

“This problem has forced locals to regain what it was like in the past,” Delisio said. “It’s really good that the people who live here are doing something about it.”